Bailey, Kalish odd men out in Red Sox tender decision

Monday, December 2, 2013 -- Michael Silverman

The Red Sox opted not tender 2014 contracts to two players tonight, closer Andrew Bailey and outfielder Ryan Kalish. The club can still work out a deal for either player but so can 29 other clubs as the two join a dramatically widened free agent pool.

Bailey was arbitration eligible and likely would have landed a one-year deal worth more than $4.1 million. Considering that Bailey, who had shoulder surgery in the middle of last season, is not expected to be ready to pitch before July, the team decided to risk exposing him to the open market and cut their losses now after a two-year injury-marred stint from him.

Bailey saved only a dozen games and appeared in 49 games since coming to the Red Sox in a trade with the Athletics, who received outfielder Josh Reddick in a deal that wound up being decidedly in Oakland’s favor. Bailey appeared in 30 games this season before the July 24 surgery. He posted a 4.91 ERA with the Red Sox, with 53 strikeouts and 20 walks over 44 innings.

Kalish has had two surgeries (neck and shoulder) the last couple of years, did not play at all last season and there is not a great deal of certainty over how productive he will be this coming season. He last appeared for the big-league club in 2012.

The Red Sox did tender contract offers to their five other arbitration eligible players: right-handers Junichi Tazawa and Burke Badenhop, left-handers Franklin Morales and Andrew Miller and first baseman-outfielder Mike Carp, as well as 21 other players on the 40-man roster.

The pool of free agents did shrink by one in an important area for the Red Sox: catching.

Free agent veteran catcher Dioner Navarro signed a two-year deal with the Blue Jays. The Red Sox are still speaking with free agent catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who is believed to be looking for a three-year deal while the Red Sox are interested in two at most. In addition, they have considered a trade for Cincinnati's Ryan Hanigan. The Blue Jays might even wind up non-tendering their current catcher, J.P. Arencibia, as a result of the Navarro signing.